Listen to Angel on iTunes

See the lyrics to the song’s chorus below:

In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

More Funeral Songs

This is particularly the case when using a well-known song that is traditionally performed with lyrics. Take the hymn “Amazing Grace” for example. Many people know, at very least, the words of the first verse of this song. Now, imagine a single instrument playing the simple melody without a voice singing the lyrics; allowing mourners to craft words and images in their minds as they listen intently to the emotion within the notes of the melody, not the lyrics.

The effect also works with music originally composed without lyrics — for instance, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata or one of Chopin’s Nocturnes. Pieces like these contain a broad spectrum of emotion that enables listeners to not only celebrate a life but grieve the loss of one. The beauty of lyric-less melodies is the ability they give listeners to create their own experience, unguided by someone else’s words.

Tears In Heaven

Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,
‘Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven.

Beyond the door there’s peace I’m sure,
And I know there’ll be no more tears in heaven.

Download Tears In Heaven

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

Download Blowin’ In The Wind

At First
Some of the first things that should be taken care of are the date and location of the service.  Once decided, it is also important to notify friends and family by spreading the word via the newspaper, telephone, and internet.  Additionally, selection of a funeral home and final resting place should be decided upon.  A majority of establishments require a legal certificate of death before caring for the deceased.

And Next
A large portion of planning will be devoted to the programmatic details of the service.  Typically, funerals and memorials include some or all of the following: eulogies, music, religious readings, poetry or prose, a sermon or message, and prayer.  The elements you choose to include should be an appropriate representation of your loved one’s life.  You should also consider people who may want to take part in the service such as specific ministers, family members, or friends.

At Last
Decorations, flowers, and food or refreshments are all common at funeral services.  Many people will bring or send flowers, but it is also appropriate to have flowers custom designed for the service.  Providing food or refreshments for everyone who attends can be a daunting task, but caterers are available for these events.  As an alternative, relatives and members from your local church are typically very generous and gracious when it comes to preparing and providing food.

Dirges are also appropriate music for funerals, as they are mournful songs composed in memorial to a dead person.    Dirges express grief without maintaining the rhythm of funeral marches.

An elegy is often described as a poem of mourning.  In music, an elegy, sometimes spelled elegie, is a piece that conveys a sad and somber tone.  Elegies do not have to be written on a specific death, and may reflect a general melancholy instead.

A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning, often performed by women.  The Scottish bagpipe is often associated with purely instrumental laments.

A requiem is the term used for any composition that sets to music religious texts that would be appropriate for a funeral.  Originally, requiems were written for the Catholic funeral mass.

Celebrating Life Through Music
Choose music that reflects the life of the deceased.  For instance, a World War II vet’s service might include “I’ll Be Seeing You (In All the Old Familiar Places),” both as an expression of grief, and as a reflection of time in the Great War.

Remembering Preferences
Select music that the deceased especially enjoyed; this will certainly remind listeners of happy memories.  (Truly forward thinking individuals may have already selected songs for their own service; be sure to research this if you are the music organizer.)

Consider Mood
Perhaps more than any other art, music links to our emotions.  Memorial services often feature somber pieces for entrance processions, but you may choose hopeful music near the end of the ceremony to leave participants with a lighter feeling.

Involve Family and Friends
Once you have your list of songs, reflect on who might like to perform music during the memorial service; you might be surprised how many family members and friends volunteer to contribute their musical talents in memorial to the deceased.

Music can also be played at the graveside service as well, so long as it is approved by the cemetery or final resting place location managers.

Music can also be incorporated into online memorial pages set up in memory of the loved one.  Many memorial sites allow certain songs to be played in conjunction with a slide show or album honoring the life.

Adagio for Strings – Albonini

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven

Clair de Lune – Claude Debussy

Psalm 121 – H. Howells

Solemn Melody – H. Walford Davies

How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings Fair - J. Brahms

Air on the G string – J.S. Bach

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – JS Bach

Canon - Pachelbel

Nessun Dorma – Puccini

The Waltz of the Flowers (From the Nutcracker) – Tchaikovsy

Ave Maria – Verdi

Ave Verum Corpus – W.A. Mozart

Below is a list of song titles and artists commonly used at funerals. These songs can be downloaded from iTunes or purchased on CD. If you would like to recommend a song be added to this list, please contact info@valleyoflife.com.

Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye) - Andrea Bocelli

Memory - Barbra Streisand

The Way We Were – Barbara Streisand

It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday – Boys II Men

You’re Missing- Bruce Springsteen

Death is not the End - Bob Dylan

Forever Young – Bob Dylan

Blowing in the Wind – Bob Dylan

Child Of Mine – Carole King

Close to You – Carpenters

My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion (From Titanic Soundtrack)

Prayer - Celine Dion

The Other Side - David Gray

Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley

Memories - Elvis Presley

Unchained Melody - Elvis Presley

Return To Innocence – Enigma

May it Be - Enya

Only Time – Enya

A Day Without Rain – Enya

Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton

The Prayer – Charlotte Church (With Josh Groban)

My Way – Frank Sinatra

If I Could – Jack Johnson

To Where You Are – Josh Groban

Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross

Unforgettable - Nat King Cole

I’ll Be Missing You– Puff Daddy & Family

Everybody Hurts – REM

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx >

Shine Your Light- Robbie Robertson

Forever Young - Rod Stewart

The Last Forever - Roger Whittaker

As Tears Go By - The Rolling Stones

I Will Remember You – Sarah McLachlan

Angel - Sarah McLachlan

Bridge Over Troubled Waters – Simon and Garfunkel

Landslide - Stevie Nicks

You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder

Fragile – Sting

Forever Young – Youth Group